Better to Be a Big Shot's Pocket-Sized Bird Than a Stand-In

[Please check out my upcoming novels, Reborn as the Sickly Fake Young Master and The Trash-Talking King and His Socially Anxious Sweetheart. Sending love!] (Shou's POV) Jiang Ning was once the best student in the acting department, but spent five years working behind the scenes to advance his boyfriend's career. Over those five years, his boyfriend's scandals never stopped. When his disappointment finally reached its limit and he asked to break up, he discovered he had been someone else's replacement all along. Jiang Ning hated the scumbag. And after wasting his youth, he'd lost his advantage in the entertainment industry. After thinking it over, he threw himself into the arms of Bai Sheyue, a powerful entertainment mogul. The mogul had power and influence, and a mercurial temperament. Jiang Ning acted sweet and submissive. After one wild ride after another, he discovered: The moment he wanted a role, the mogul offered him all the resources he needed. When he craved handmade pastries, the mogul drove three hours to buy them for him. He liked going for a spin on the sea, so the mogul overcame his seasickness to accompany him. The mogul prepared a mountain of birthday presents, and even gave him a New Year's gift envelope like a child... This treatment was far better than being a stand-in for a scumbag gong! Jiang Ning settled comfortably into the mogul's arms. He didn't want to work hard anymore. (Not really...) - (Gong's POV) The first time Bai Sheyue met Jiang Ning, Jiang Ning was seven, at the age when even dogs hated him. The next time was on an audition set. The boy tried to cozy up to him, calling him "Uncle Bai" with practiced familiarity. His little schemes were easy to see through, which made him kind of interesting. Later, he tried to climb into Bai Sheyue's bed. Feeling his own heartbeat go strangely uneven, Bai Sheyue could no longer stay calm. It was true he had been taken by Jiang Ning's looks at first sight. It was also true that he wanted Jiang Ning to stop worrying about his future, and that he wanted him to live freely and happily. He wanted to protect him and give him the very best of everything. He laid a net for the young man, luring him into his arms one step at a time. - The whole internet was watching Jiang Ning, who debuted at the ripe old age of twenty-four with labels like fallen star's son, illegitimate child of a wealthy family, and assault scandal attached to his name. They wanted to see him humiliated, to watch him fall into the mud and fail to get back up. His scumbag gong was no exception. He wanted to see Jiang Ning run out of options and come crawling back into his arms. They waited, only to see the young man laughing freely and happily in another man's arms. That man was a powerful mogul from a wealthy family, someone they could never hope to reach. [Wily, alluring shou x Calculating, powerful gong] Important content warnings: 1. In this setting, same-sex couples cannot marry. The gong is over 35 and has an ex-wife; he did not deceive her into marriage. His father forced the marriage, his ex-wife knew the truth, and they never had sex. The son is not biologically his. This is necessary to establish the gong's character and family history, and his ex-wife is someone he cherishes deeply. 2. The gong is not a virgin. He did not cheat during his marriage. He was busy with work, not a playboy, and kept himself out of scandals. In the main story, the shou is his only love interest. 3. The shou was a virgin during his five-year relationship with the scumbag gong. The problem lies with the scumbag gong, who had his own obsession with being with the shou. 4. Neither the gong nor the shou is perfect at the beginning. They grow together and heal each other. Please don't try to give writing advice on behalf of those who only want both leads to be virgins or neither to be a virgin. Personal attacks and insults will come back a thousandfold. Comments that ignore these warnings will be deleted. ----Here are my upcoming novels---- Reborn as the Sickly Fake Young Master Blurb: [Emotionally clueless, aloof and sickly beauty shou x Fake playboy, secretly doting mogul gong] Lu Chen is frail and pampered, yet his captivating almond eyes could turn the heads of the world. He doesn't know he's the Lu family's fake young master. On the day his identity is exposed, Lu Chen thinks everyone will kick him while he's down. Instead, his adopted brother takes his hand and promises to love him forever; the real young master wraps an arm around his waist, eager for them to become inseparable brothers; and the marriage prospect whose proposal he rejected approaches him with surprising ease... In his previous life, Lu Chen thought they all meant well, until he lost all hope, climbed to the top of a building, and jumped. Reborn, he sees these people for who they really are. The only one who still seems indifferent to him is his uncle, surrounded by beautiful people. Lu Chen has come around. It doesn't matter who gets to have fun with him. His uncle may have several lovers at once, but he's powerful and influential, and they once had a thing. At least that should keep other people from coveting Lu Chen. He turns down everyone's "kindness" and throws himself into his uncle's arms instead. "I'm not a Lu anymore. I'm so good-looking. You'll like me, right?" His uncle, a playboy and scumbag who only likes beautiful shous: "!" At first, Lu Chen thinks he's just one of the many lovers his uncle keeps around, and does everything he can to please him. But in the end, it seems he becomes the only one. No longer his usual clueless self, he senses something is off and finally works up the courage to ask, "Shouldn't we end things?" The man lifts his chin and kisses his lips. "We should, but not end things. We should get married." Lu Bainian is the true head of the Lu family. He's the third-born, yet people respectfully call him "Master Lu." He's kept a secret all along: he's fond of his nephew, even though he has known for years that they aren't blood-related. To get rid of those feelings, he has spent his time surrounded by lovers, becoming a playboy in everyone's eyes. He never imagined that someone as beautiful and pure as Lu Chen would ever give him the time of day, even after Lu Chen was exposed as a fake young master. But Lu Chen throws himself into his arms and asks him for love. Later, at a gala, Lu Bainian mingles with the guests, surrounded by beautiful people. Someone asks, "Master Lu, aren't you going to invite a couple of beauties over?" Lu Bainian smiles. "My wife wouldn't like it." "You don't smoke anymore, either?" "My wife doesn't like the smell." "At least you can drink, right?" Lu Bainian still smiles. "My wife would say I demand too much." Everyone's jaws drop. Master Lu, you've changed! The Trash-Talking King and His Socially Anxious Sweetheart Blurb: A streamer named Luo Yi has suddenly become a sensation on the Lemon livestreaming platform this year. He streams the battle royale game, but his striking looks have landed him in the beauty section, where he has over a million fans. His fans all know that Luo Yi is highly skilled and very sweet. There's just one problem: he has mild to moderate social anxiety, so nobody can get through to him. The top female streamer in the beauty section refuses to believe it and publicly announces she's going to pursue Luo Yi. That night, viewers from all over flock to his stream to stir things up. With no way to dodge the question, Luo Yi responds, "Thanks for liking me! I already have a partner." The top streamer: ? Fans: Hearts broken across the board! His female fans are a force to be reckoned with, and swear they'll track down the little tramp who stole Luo Yi. Not long after, someone uploads a video. In the video, someone is holding Luo Yi's hand, someone has an arm around his shoulders, someone is pressing their face against his... After watching it, the fans reach two conclusions: 1. Luo Yi's partner is a man. 2. Luo Yi's partner is the LSP team's assault player, Bei Shen! Who is Bei Shen? An insider says: He's like a god, but he's blunt and hot-tempered. He curses out his teammates, fires back at haters, and blasts the league's rules... He's offended half the battle royale community with his mouth, and his list of scandals could fill three days and three nights. Luo Yi's stream chat is flooded with comments. His fans warn him: - Don't fall for his looks. He's a dog. - He's hot-tempered, and you're a sweet boy. You two aren't right for each other. - He'll make you cry. You'll suffer if you're with him. Facing the camera head-on for the first time, the socially anxious streamer smiles and says nice things about Lu Xingbei: "He's a really good person. He doesn't get mad at me or yell at me." "He's very well-behaved and listens to me." "I've never been mistreated. Don't worry." The fans are distraught, and agree they need to rescue this sweet boy, blinded by love. They all start keeping watch in his stream. Some time later, the fans realize that Lu Xingbei never swears in front of Luo Yi. He's gentle and easygoing, and always thinks of Luo Yi whenever something good happens. He's like a completely different person. But behind Luo Yi's back, Bei the Dog is still a dog! Fans: Hmm... There's another strange ship now. Actually, it's kind of adorable! Theme: Meeting the right person at the right time, in the right circumstances, matters.